FEMA Urges St. Louisans To Buy Flood Insurance

Federal officials are encouraging St. Louis residents to enroll in flood insurance, in anticipation of a potentially severe flood season.

Most homeowners and renters-insurance policies don’t cover flooding, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency offers flood insurance to residents in thousands of U.S. cities, including St. Louis. The program — which dates back to the late 1960s — sets insurance rates based on building location, age and other factors.

But some areas, including the greater St. Louis region, may be hit especially hard this year.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting significant flooding along the Missouri, Mississippi and Illinois rivers this spring due to snowmelt.

The Mississippi River near St. Louis has a more than 60 percent chance of major flooding in the next three months, according to NOAA meteorologists.

Extreme rainstorms are also expected to become more common as the climate warms — in part because a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture.

FEMA only provides individual assistance if the president declares a disaster, but Maurstad said people often mistakenly believe the agency can offer help during all flood events.

“There’s a misconception that the government will bail out individuals, and that just isn’t the case,” he said. “That’s why it’s so important that people take action to make sure that if they have a flood event, they don’t have to turn to somebody else.”

Floodwaters along the Meramec River in May 2017 inundated areas on the Eureka High School Campus, as seen in this file photo.

Credit File Photo | Carolina Hidalgo | St. Louis Public Radio

To protect against flood-related damage, FEMA is encouraging property owners and renters in the St. Louis region to enroll in the National Flood Insurance Program.

As part of the program, FEMA partners with dozens of private-insurance companies to offer flood coverage in specific areas.

Because rates are set by the U.S. government, they do not differ from company to company.

To qualify for the program, communities must adopt local floodplain-management ordinances — which limit future development in flood-prone areas.

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The likelihood of major flooding in Missouri and Illinois is especially high this spring.

The National Weather Service on Friday released its report forecasting flooding for eastern Missouri and areas in southern Illinois. Its author, hydrologist Mark Fuchs, said parts of the Mississippi River are facing a 50 percent probability of hazardous flooding.

Twenty-five years ago, on Aug. 1, 1993, the Mississippi River crested in the city of St. Louis at the highest level ever recorded — 49.58 feet. By the time the water retreated, the Mississippi and Missouri rivers had topped or burst levees in nine states, killed 50 people and caused $15 billion in damage. Residents can still feel the impact of the watershed disaster a quarter of a century later.